Data Shows Spain Made €60 billion From Tourists Last Year

Data Shows Spain Made €60 billion From Tourists Last Year

Spain broke all tourism records in Europe 

The latest data from the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) shows that tourism provided the Spanish economy with €60 billion across last year – which is more than for any other country except for the USA.

The difference is that Spain’s tourism numbers are growing, while America’s are contracting following the election of President Donald Trump. Not only is Spain’s tourism industry growing, but it’s growing at a rate higher than any other leading destination.

The figures from the UNWTO show that the US received €173 billion from tourism in 2016, which makes it the clear winner. Spain came in second, followed by Thailand and China for tourism revenue.

The UK – which came in third place in 2015 – dropped to seventh. The country made €29 billion from tourism, which is the lowest figure for some time. Experts believe that the Brexit – and the effects of the decision – are to blame for this drastic drop.

An interesting figure is that of France, which came in fifth place for tourism revenue in the world in 2016, even though UNTWO figures suggest the country received the highest overall number of visitors. This would suggest that people visiting France do so fleetingly; whether it’s because they are passing through the country on their way to other neighbouring countries, or just because they stay for a few days.

France topped the charts of overall visitor numbers thanks to some 82.6 million visitors across 2016. The US came in second with 75.61 million tourists, followed by Spain with 75.56 million visitors.

What is interesting is how quickly change is happening and the directions of the change. American tourism dropped 3% between 2015 and 2016, and continues to fall across 2017. France saw a 2% drop between 2015 and 2016, and it’s expected the fall will be greater this year following recent terrorism threats.

Spain, however, saw an increase in visitor numbers of 10% across 2016, and all the signs are there for an even stronger 2017; which could leave Spain clinching the top spot by the end of the year.

Spain Once Again Proves to be Most Popular Destination for Irish Tourists

Spain Once Again Proves to be Most Popular Destination for Irish Tourists

Its no wonder Spain continues to be the best

destination in the world.

There’s an old – and bad – joke that says a holiday isn’t a holiday when the Irish go on holiday to the UK. It is somewhat accurate however. The data from the Central Statistics Office in Ireland showed that the UK was the most popular destination for the Irish last year, with around 2.4 million trips between the two countries.

Most of these trips could be considered to be related to work or family though, and aren’t necessarily holidays. This is the line that the CSO is giving at least, and we’re going to agree with them given that the data also shows 1.5 million of the 7.6 million trips the Irish took abroad last year were to Spain.

If one were to compare the total expenditure of Irish tourists in 2016, it becomes obvious that Spain is the most popular holiday destination and not the UK. Around €993 million was spent in the UK by the Irish across their 2.4 million trips.

On the other hand, around €1.4 billion was spent in Spain from 1.5 million trips. This shows that the Irish are definitely choosing to spend longer (and spend more) in Spain compared to the UK.

All of this data was further backed up by a recent AA poll, which surveyed 7,000 Irish people on their tourism and holiday preferences. The poll showed Spain was the most popular overseas destination for one-in-five tourists, with the USA, Portugal, France, and Italy following behind.

It’s worth noting that Spain has been the top of this particular poll for the past five years.

The excellent weather and the superb beaches and landscape of Spain has been one of the main attractions for the Irish. The most appealing factor, however, could be the affordability of the Costas.

The poll from the AA discovered many Irish under-25s are more cost-conscious as far as travel goes. The affordability and value for money Spain has makes it popular with those in the Emerald Isle.

Even though more people are going abroad for their holiday than before, it’s still obvious that holidays are treated as luxuries. Young people in particular regard them as luxuries because they are less secure financially.

Even though Spain was the ideal choice for 25% of the people polled, “staycationing” in Ireland pulled in 15% of the vote – and second place. We suspect that Ireland will stay in second place until Cork can generate as much bright sunshine as Marbella. Which isn’t likely to happen any time soon.

15.5 Million Tourists Expected to Reach Malaga Airport in Bumper Summer

15.5 Million Tourists Expected to Reach Malaga Airport in Bumper Summer

Malaga Airport – the airport serving the Costa del Sol – is set to see more records broken in 2017, according to the director of the airport Salvador Merino.

Its predicted to be another record breaking year

The airport recorded some 16.6 million passengers last year, and this year the director is predicting that 15.5 million passengers could enter the airport during just the summer months of this year; leading to a total of over 18 million passengers by October.

The airport director did admit that there were several factors that could affect the demand, but he also revealed around 90,000 flights are expected between the summer months of May and October, which is around 500 flights per day.

Several tour operators are analysing the trends from the start of the year, leaving them just as hopeful for another bumper summer season for Spain. Malaga airport is welcoming more flight routes and flight times to deal with the demand which is coming from not just the UK, but also from Belgium, Scandinavia, and the Netherlands.

The Malaga airport will serve a record 126 destinations by the summer, with 62 of these locations based in the UK (an increase of 9% over 2016), which only highlights the fact that Brits make up the bulk of foreign tourism and are the most predominant second-home owners in the Costa del Sol.

Malaga has also seen a 20% increase in connection routes to Germany and Italy in the past year, a statistic highlighting the growing popularity of Spain around the whole of Europe. Data published in February shows that Malaga airport welcomed some 867,382 passengers during January – an increase of 18.4% over January of 2016.

British Tourists Spend 17% More Money in Spain

British Tourists Spend 17% More Money in Spain

Brits love affair with Spain continues to flourish and always will

The Spanish economy was boosted in November of 2016 by about €4.91 thanks to tourism, an increase of 8.3% over 2015. Despite the damage done to the pound/euro conversion rate by Brexit, Brits are spending around 17% more per head during their Spanish holiday in November compared to November of last year.

The data comes from the National Statistics Institute (INE) and it shows British tourists in Spain spent around €776 million in November 2016. This was not just an improvement over the figures from last year, but it also accounted for 18.5% of all the money spent by tourists that month.

The interesting thing is that while there were more British tourists, the number was only up 12.5%, meaning that Brits are opening their wallets more with an average spend of €120 per day and €895 per holiday. The only thing that shrunk was the length of the average stay. Brits went from staying in Spain for an average of 8 days in the country to an average of 7.5 days.

Overall the Spanish economy received a boost of €4.91billion from tourism spending in November 2016, an increase of 8.3% on 2015. German tourists pumped €530 million of their own into the country, followed by Scandinavians with €482 million and the French with €291 million.

In terms of regional spending the most money was spent in the Canary Islands thanks to the promise of sun and sand in Winter; almost a third of all spending from tourists in November happened in the Canary Islands.

When analysing all 11 months of 2016 leading to the end of November, the amount of tourist spending in 2016 was pretty impressive. Expenditure was up 8.4% over the same period in 2015 or a massive total of €73.1 billion, of which just over 20% came from British tourists; proving that British tourists remain a key part of Spanish tourism.

July Saw 9.6 million Tourists Visit Spain, With One in Four Being Brits

July Saw 9.6 million Tourists Visit Spain, With One in Four Being Brits

Spain is Booming again with record numbers of Tourists

and the property market making a marvelous recover.

Records continue to be broken in Spain. With the cost of living being so low and the healthy lifestyle and warm climate. The country has recently seen its busiest July ever as the official government figures confirm that over 9.6 million tourists came to the country during the month.

This figure is an impressive 11% increase over last July and continued the trend of 2016 being a record-breaking year for Spain, with many of these records being broken thanks to the Brits.

One quarter of all the registered tourists in Spain in July came from Britain and were part of the largest shifts in tourism seen in years. Egypt, Turkey and Tunisia have seen a spate of terrorist attacks that have seriously driven down tourism numbers. Instead these millions of tourists are heading to safer destinations such as Spain and Bulgaria.

Barcelona, the Costa del Sol, and the Balearics and Canary Islands saw the biggest rises in tourism numbers. Majorca is also currently fully booked through the end of September according to the data.

The final tourism figures for August aren’t known just yet but the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) are predicting a 25% increase in visitor numbers for the month. Turkey has seen a 30% drop in tourism while Egypt has seen a 60% decrease. Tunisia has barely seen any tourists at all following a beach attack from 2015 that saw over 30 Brits gunned down.

The president of the Spanish Travel Agents and Tour Operators Association Rafael Gallego says that around 15% of the tourists that Spain welcomed would not have come to the country if it wasn’t for other destinations like Egypt and Tunisia closing down due to these tragic events.

While the country is always open to more tourists many in Spain feel that 2016 could be the peak of Spanish tourism unless new accommodation; such as hotels and apartments, are built soon.

The Spanish construction industry is already gearing up torise to the challenge, with house building reaching heights not seen in over 5years. Foreign developers are also keen to begin building real estate and hotels in the more popular regions of the country.

Things are also improving on the consumer level. Department store El Corte Inglés are reporting that they saw a 25% increase in sales over the last year. Fears before and after the Brexit about the value of the pound saw many Brits book all-inclusive packages to essentially lock in the price of their Spanish Holiday. Thomas Cook is reporting that six out of ten of the holidays they sold in Spain were all inclusive.

An ABTA spokeswoman said that the around 20% of all the Brits who go on holiday abroad now go to Spain. This means that one in five Brits who left the country to go on holiday went to Spain.

Spain Welcoming Tourists and World Media

Spain Welcoming Tourists and World Media

Spain is breaking all records as Tourist flock to the country

Given that Spain has always been popular with the people it’s really strange how often the mainstream media just happen to stumble upon what the country has to offer.

While Spain could never be described as a hidden holiday gem that few people will ever get a chance to see, it’s also true that many media stories about Spain only focus on the negatives. Especially when it comes to the tourist sector. They seem unwilling to showcase the best there is.

Things have gotten a little different this summer. Many rival destinations such as Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt are being passed over because of safety concerns. Even the south of France has found itself rocked by violence. Even the middle class media are beginning to see, and tout, Spain as being a safe haven for tourists and Spain is a great place to buy property.  

The Daily Telegraph recently published a list of 19 reasons that people are going back to Spain and this is a prime example of how everyone is softening up on Spain a little. It’s not often that the Telegraph of all publications would be so sympathetic and generous towards Spain. They would rather praise places such as Florence, Provence, and the Seychelles.

To give the Telegraph some credit though they have seen the unmissable trend that is that Spain is where everyone is going this summer and they published a very nice listicle showing the best of Spain.

Anyone who has been to Spain is unlikely to find something new but if you haven’t seen it here are some of the highlights from the Telegraph.

The cities: One of the great Spanish strengths is the wealth and beauty of the cities there. Barcelona, Seville, and everything in between are filled with history, culture, and fabulous foods.

The Moorish Heritage: If you’re talking about the Moorish heritage you need to talk about Andalucía, especially the Alhambra in Granada. Spain may have a varied and sometimes bloody history but it has left behind a wonderfully complex country with a rich architecture.

The lesser-known treats: La Coruña in Galicia deserves a look, especially because of their bountiful beaches and lovely old town; the ideal spot for some tapas. Another lesser-known treat is Vitoria-Gasteiz in the Basque country. History buffs should take a trip to the Roman aqueduct in Segovia.

The natural beauty: One thing Spain has in abundance is natural beauty; from the beaches, to the mountains, the non-stop sunshine. Almost everything in Spain is a real treat for the eyes and it’s something that everyone, even the Telegraph, knows all too well.

Spain Expects 74 Million Tourists in 2016

Spain Expects 74 Million Tourists in 2016

The Madrid-based tourism agency Exceltur has claimed they expect Spain will see 74 million tourists in all through 2016, which would decimate the record of 68 million visitors set last year.

The Costa del Sol is Booming and goes from strength to strength.

As the summer season truly kicks in the leading agency for tourism in Spain believes that Spain will end up being the most popular tourist destination of 2016 following the terror attacks in tourism rival France and the continued safety concerns of other formerly popular tourist destinations along the Mediterranean.

Portugal is also expected to see a rise in tourism of about 30% as tourists are choosing the safer areas on the Iberian peninsula.

While it’s true that nowhere is truly safe from terrorism Spain hasn’t seen a terror attack in around 12 years and their intelligence department is one of the best in Europe. Overall Spain is definitely the place to be for the more nervous holidaymakers that are looking for a safe space in the sun.

The amount of money visitors are spending in Spain has already gone up 7.8% per head in 2016 which is suggesting that the improved European economy is having a positive effect on tourism itself. It looks like tourists are more willing to open their wallets and spend their money.

The bulk of Spanish visitors continue to come from the UK, Germany and Scandinavia. Even so Exceltur is expecting the country will see a rise in French tourists as people are leaving the country for their holiday for the first time in a long time; having been driven away from their own French resorts by the shadow of terrorism. It’s also expected there will be a rise in tourists from the Eastern end of Europe including Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic.

Most people come to spain due to it being one of the safest places in Europe and having fantastic beaches  low cost of living, world class Mediterranean lifestyle and a temperature that averages over 20c, no wonder Spain and the Costa del Sol is so popular with tourists and property buyers. 

Málaga Province Set for €6bn From Summer Tourists

Málaga Province Set for €6bn From Summer Tourists

Another record breaking summer expected for the Costa del Sol

The Costa del Sol is going to be busy all summer long according to predictions from the tourist board in the region. It’s true that summer seems to have arrived in force this year. Already the tennis is on the TV, the thermometers are creeping higher, and it’s all too easy to give up on work.

One of the main signs summer is here for Spain is the rise in tourists heading to the Costa del Sol.

The region has always been one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and could contain thousands of tourists at any one time. This summer promises to be bigger than ever though with one Costa del Sol tourism authority suggesting that the number of tourists could be up by 11% over last year.

This means that Málaga could see a lot more cash in the coming months with people filling up restaurants, resorts, cafés and bars. The tourist board in question went so far as to estimate that Málaga would see €6bn enter the economy between June and September.

The president of the Costa del Sol tourism authority Elias Bendodo said that he believes an extra 623,000 people will enter the region compared to 2015. If this does happen then it means that the region will welcome over six million visitors in all for the first time ever. This is mostly down to the affordable prices, the recovering European economy, and the unfortunate threat of terrorism keeping away from other popular Mediterranean destinations.

Bendodo held a press conference where he said that he is optimistic about the summer season. The winter saw 12% more visitors compared to last year and he expects that this is a sign that this will be the biggest year ever for the Costa del Sol.

These are confident words but the data and trends are backing them up. It’s expected that Brits will continue to be the biggest group by nationality but the way the geopolitical situation in Europe is playing out means that the region will see more new visitors than ever.

The tourism board say that 57% more people are coming in from Poland, along with 41% more Danes and 11% more Germans. Most of these people are choosing Spain over Egypt and Turkey.

It’s also expected that 25% more French and 15% more Dutch visitors will come to the country for the same reasons. The number of Brits heading to the south of the country is expected to go up by 21%, which should help put to bed any myths that the Brexit vote has left Spain less popular with Brits.

Brits have always been coming to the Costa del Sol, for the beaches and lifestyle even before the EU was created. He is sure that this is a trend that will likely never stop.

Spain attracts 1.4 million British tourists in April

Spain attracts 1.4 million British tourists in April

When compared to the statistics, the British tourist inflow to Spain increased by 18.3% in April.

Although people initially anticipated that Spain will see lesser tourists this April as the Easter holidays fell in March this year instead of April, the results regarding tourist info in Spain were surprising as per the statistics published by the central government of Spain, which indicate it to be otherwise.

In tandem with the number of tourist inflow from UK, international tourists from other countries to Spain also increased and the total tourist inflow stood at over 6.1 million, which is a 11.3% increase when compared to the statistics of the previous year. Every one among four international tourists who visit Spain is from UK and the number of tourists from UK also found a steep rise as it rose by 18.3% to 1.4 million. Tourist inflow from France and Germany also increased, but it did not increase as much as the tourist inflow from UK did. Tourists from France stood at 1.09 million, which was a 14.4% hike when compared to the previous year and the total tourists from Germany increased by a mere 2.9%, taking the total to 876,000.

The fourth highest foreign tourists to Spain were from Scandinavia, with the count being 408,500. Netherlands occupied the fifth spot this year, pushing Italy below and the increase of tourists from Netherlands was a whopping 37.4%, which corresponded to 322,000.

The total number of tourists from UK visiting Spain since the starting of 2016 increased by 19.4%, taking the count to 4.04 million, which attributes to the overall 13% hike in the foreign visitors. In total, Spain has attracted 18.1 million tourists till April. Tourists of Irish and Dutch origin have increased significantly this year, and the rise is 25.6% and 25.5% respectively.

The cumulative total of France and Germany are the second and third highest, which stands at 2.67 million after a 9.5% increase in the case of France while the count increased to 2.61 million or 6.7%, in the case of Germany.

Within Spain, the most preferred destination among foreign tourists in April, the month in which there is a transition from winter to spring, changed from Canary Islands to Catalunya. Nearly 25% of the foreign visitors preferred to visit Catalunya in April and the second preferred destination was Canaries, which stood at 17.5%, followed by Andalucia at 16.4%, Balearics at 12.6%, Comunidad Valenciana at 10.5% and Madrid at 9.1%.

The increase in the percentage varied from 2.5% to 17.7% spread across the 17 popular tourist destinations of Spain.

The significance of British tourists to Spain is clearly evident in the recent bulletin they had published. In most of the regions, UK was the major supplier of foreign tourists and the British were also among the second most tourists to other regions. It was only in the case of Madrid that UK did occupy neither the first nor the second places. However, this can be justified by the fact that people traveling from different continents prefer to stay in the capital of the nation they visit rather than any other place.

Is Spain Becoming Too Popular With Tourists?

Is Spain Becoming Too Popular With Tourists?

Spain is seeing another great summer in terms of tourism. It’s getting so good, in fact, we have to ask if Spain is becoming a little too popular.

Spain is so popular with tourists

Spain is used to seeing the beaches filled to the brim during summer. People visiting the Costa el Sol, Costa Brava, the Canaries, and any other popular destination, will have trouble finding a piece of the beach to call their own. For a while this was even part of the appeal.

Spain just isn’t Spain if the restaurants and bars aren’t packed, if the night clubs aren’t pounding out music, and if the roads are crammed. This is, oddly enough, one of the big appeals of Spain. It’s a week or two of fun with a backdrop that seems to almost never stops. All this actually serves to show how Spain is able to handle all of these tourists and continue to work perfectly even when full.

It’s beginning to sound like things are getting a little too bad though and Spain could be experiencing tourism fatigue. It’s been suggested that Spain could literally sell out and that more people than ever will be flocking to the country this year. Majorca and Barcelona may become so packed it becomes a risk to the eco-system and historical sites. Spain really is becoming just a little too popular.

This year will definitely be a big year for Spain. People looking for fun in the sun will usually spread themselves across the entire Mediterranean but not this year. Now there is too much danger in countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, and Turkey. Spain is getting most of the tourists that would otherwise have gone to these countries.

It’s expected that 28% more people will be visiting Ibiza on a cruise ship this year. In Spain it looks like 20% more people could visit in 2016. Palma airport, a major airport in Majorca, has worked hard to increase their capacity and can now handle 100 flights a day. Last year they were able to handle 66 flights a day.

The mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, has agreed that large groups of tourists should be banned from entering the La Boqueria market during certain times in the day. He has also said that no more licenses for tourist accommodation will be handed out. He’s spreading the very clear message that the city is full.

This news is bound to be welcomed by local businesses that rely on tourism. Other people feel that the problems are starting to mount though. Majorca is already trying to stop this popularity from being their downfall. They’ve got stated by introducing a €2 a day eco tax. This Spanish tax comes into effect on the first of June and the money will be used for environmental conservation.

The president of the Balearics, Francina Armengol, has expressed concern that the amount of money waiters are bound to make could discourage people from trying to get into a more professional field.

There is no denying that these concerns are legitimate, and there are some countries that would welcome these kind of “problems”, but there is a good reason that Spain is popular. It’s about balance. That balance could very well be tipped this summer.

Marbella Gets a New App to Connect Tourists

Marbella Gets a New App to Connect Tourists

Marbella took their first steps to become a more connected and “smart” city back in 2013. The people behind the plan wished to keep Marbella in the “now”. It can be thought of as a new type of destination for tourists in Marbella and southern Spain in general.

Spain is currently the third largest tourist destination, placing behind France and the US. They have seen record numbers of foreign visitors for the past three years now and it looks like 2016 will see another record broken.

Marbella is still one of the most popular tourist destinations for people looking to go to the Costa del Sol for some fun in the sun. It’s also popular with people who want to take in Spanish life. Marbella hasn’t gotten lazy though. The tourist board there take every step they can to keep up with technology and the demands of tourists. When you visit Marbella you’re going to find yourself in a “smart city”. Business owners and residents alike should expect things to run a little smoother thanks to improvements on the infrastructure, as well as more transparent improvements to public services.

Businesses are definitely feeling more confident about the future. The Marbella property market was one of the few markets around the world that managed to stay consistent even during the recent economic problems Spain felt. Andalucía property for sale is now recovering and becoming a hub for tourism once more. This increase in tourism is expected to lead to an increase of foreign investors looking to purchase property along the Costa del Sol. Many tourists find it very difficult to resist purchasing a beachfront villa of their own when they see the lower real estate prices. They also find it hard to resist the lovely golf apartments for sale in the Costa del Sol.

Marbella is a definitely embracing the digital era in 2016. This should lead to more wealth and employment opportunities. One aspect of this digital plan is to build up confidence with the public. Part of this is to help businesses with the digital aspects of being a company of today.

The Marbella Smart City scheme as it’s being called is designed to help Marbella, and Spain in general, stay ahead of the trends in technology. This means improving the technology of the city and staying connected. Another piece of the plan is an initiative to create “smart tourist destinations”. In fact it was announced just last week that SEGITTUR and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce created and launched a tourist guide app.

Marbella is looking to introduce a tourist app this year. It will act as a tour guide for the city and features 224 user-friendly applications for a smartwatch. The Ministry of Industry and Energy and Tourism came together to create this initiative. The app will show recommendations for tourists including different cultural buildings and the hotspots of the city.

When people are making their way through Marbella they may come across QR codes. Scanning one of these codes will give them information no matter the time of day. The aim of the Smart City initiative is to create a safer environment and to make visiting the city a more fun experience for all involved.

A spokesman from Segittur described their tourist app as a cutting edge idea that could really help develop tourism. Everyone has the chance to access it and because it helps visitors interact with the environment around them, it makes their stay more enjoyable.

The Marbella property market is also on the rise as more foreign investors are becoming interested in the Costa del Sol. The potential of the southern Spain property market really speaks for itself. The economy is already recovering in southern Spain as more jobs are opened up. Costa del Sol can only improve thanks to the rise in tourism.